If there is diffuse ST-elevation and I code for “Acute Pericarditis,” should I also code for “ST and/or T wave abnormalities suggesting myocardial injury?
No. Acute pericarditis must be distinguished from a transmural myocardial infarction because those two separate entities are treated very differently. The code for “ST and/or T wave abnormalities suggesting myocardial injury” should be reserved to describe a coronary event that has resulted in a transmural myocardial infarction. Although epicardial inflammation may result from acute pericarditis, this process is not routinely associated with transmural myocardial injury and should not be scored as such. For this reason, when you code for “Acute Pericarditis,” the box for “ST and/or T wave abnormalities suggesting myocardial injury” will be disabled.
Related Questions
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